Ensete plant named ‘Tandarra Rainbow’

ABSTRACT

A new and distinct cultivar of  Ensete  plant characterized by striking strongly variegated red leaves and excellent vigor.

Botanical denomination: Ensete ventricosum.

Variety designation: ‘Tandarra Rainbow’.

Parentage: Ensete ventricosum ‘Tandarra Red’.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a new and distinct cultivar of, Enseteventricosum, and known by the cultivar name of ‘Tandarra Rainbow’. Thegenus Ensete is a member of the family Musaceae. This cultivar occurredas a naturally occurring mutation in tissue culture of Enseteventricosum ‘Tandarra Red’ (an unpatented plant) in a laboratory and wasfound planted out in the greenhouse in Canby, Oreg.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

This new cultivar is unique and differs from its parent, Enseteventricosum ‘Tandarra Red’, in having streaked sectorial variegationrather than no variegation. This variegation is very striking with itsyellow and green shades combined with the dark red leaf edges, backs andmain veins. The best comparison for variegation would beMusa×paradisiaca ‘Ae-Ae’ (an unpatented plant). The new cultivar has asimilar variegation on a red rather than an all green background color.

This new cultivar has been reproduced only by asexual propagation(tissue culture). Each of the progeny exhibits identical characteristicsto the parent plant. Asexual propagation by tissue culture usingstandard micropropagation techniques with terminal shoots, as done inCanby, Oreg., shows that the foregoing characteristics and distinctionscome true to form and are established and transmitted through succeedingpropagations. The present invention has not been evaluated under allpossible environmental conditions. The phenotype may vary withvariations in environment without a change in the genotype of the plant.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING

The photo shows a one-year-old Ensete ‘Tandarra Rainbow’ growing in atwo gallon container in the warm greenhouse in June in Canby, Oreg.

DETAILED PLANT DESCRIPTION

The following is a detailed description of the new cultivar based onobservations of fifteen-month-old specimen in April 2009 growing in twogallon containers in a warm greenhouse in Canby, Oreg. This greenhouseis kept at 62 to 65 degrees F. minimum and 95 degrees F. highs. Thecolor descriptions are all based on The Royal Horticultural SocietyColour Chart, 5^(th) edition.

-   Plant:    -   -   Type.—Evergreen perennial.        -   Form.—Upright.        -   Hardiness.—USDA Zones 10 to 11.        -   Size.—89 cm tall and 109 cm wide.        -   Habit.—Palm-like.        -   Pseudostem.—Trunk-like, 7 cm wide and about 14 cm long,            glabrous, Yellow Green 146C flushed Greyed Red 183A.-   Leaf:    -   -   Type.—Simple.        -   Number.—5.        -   Arrangement.—Clustered on top of the pseudostem in compact            rosette.        -   Shape.—Oblong.        -   Venation.—Penni-parallel.        -   Margins.—Entire.        -   Apex.—Cuspidate.        -   Base.—Attenuate and clasping.        -   Size.—63 cm long and 31 cm wide.        -   Surface.—Glabrous on both sides, leathery.        -   Petiole.—Greyed Red 185A lightening to Yellow Green 146A,            grows to 28 cm long with the top 3 cm wide and the sheathing            base 14 cm wide.        -   Leaf color.—Leaves top side Green N137A as the base color,            with the leaf edges (from about 8 cm from margin) Greyed            Purple 187A to Brown 200A and lightening with age to Greyed            Purple 183A, variegated streaks are between Yellow Green            144A to N144A and lightening with age to Yellow Green 152A;            bottom side is Greyed Purple 187A to Brown 200A lightening            with age so the top colors show through somewhat.-   Flower: Never seen.-   Pests and diseases: Spider mites and aphids may be a problem. This    plant has no known resistances to any pests or diseases.

1. A new and distinct cultivar of Ensete plant as herein illustrated anddescribed.